Eric's Weekly Update 10-10-16

posted Oct 10, 2016, 2:24 PM by Cynthia Friedman

If you have not yet paid for your child’s entry into the Science Factory, we are still accepting the $5 entry fee.

Gym is on Monday and Wednesday. Dance is on Friday. We have been asked to pass on to you that appropriate footwear for these activities is appreciated. Boots and hard-sole shoes can make participation difficult. Please help remind your critters on those days so they can have a safe activity.Calendar Tuesday, 10/11 Laughing Planet Restaurant FundraiserFriday, 10/14 NO SCHOOL – Statewide In ServiceMonday, 10/17 Upper El Bike Safety Begins (10/17-10/28) Wednesday, 10/19 Conversations With Chrystell 8:45-9:45amWednesday, 10/19 Curriculum Sharing 3:15-4:15pm and 6:00-7:00pmThursday, 10/20 Board Meeting 6:30-8:30pmSaturday, 10/22 LuLaRoe Fundraiser to benefit Capital Campaign 11am-1pmSaturday, 10/22 Skate World DDD Costume Party 4:30-6:30pmMonday, 10/24 Site Council 6:00-7:30pmWednesday, 10/26 Picture Re-takesThursday, 10/27 Field Trip - Diana & Eric

This week…We had a wonderful trip to the Science Factory. It’s always a joy to watch the students explore all the exhibits and have fun learning new things. We had several chaperones/drivers who helped make the trip possible, and we thank you for your generosity.

This week we began looking at old Europe and started with the role of monarchs. We have a hard time seeing their relevance today, but we learned that long ago they were necessary to bring competing parties to a consensus. We also learned that monarchs did not always live the life we see portrayed in movies, books, and TV. Along with our introduction to Europe we also discussed an even older civilization; the Greeks. I'mpretty sure the students were happy to not be born in Sparta. Spartans were not the warm and fuzzy bunch that we find in our towns today. We tried to see, however, that the accomplishments of even very old societies add to the ‘casserole’ of modern accomplishments. We have what we have because of a lot of work and experimentation from older cultures.

Our Philosophy Friday question for consideration was “ Are mistakes good or bad?”What do you think?

Next week and beyond…We will discuss maps and navigation in the coming week as I ran out of time to discuss it earlier. We will also look at the explorer Christopher Columbus, and other explorers who have ‘discovered’ the Americas. This flows nicely into the map and navigation lessons.

Remember Aesop’s Fables? We will be looking at these fables and the ‘moral of the story’ being shared.

Field trips:Detering Orchards, October 20th.Mount Pisgah, October 27th.